Farmers ditch music for mysticism

Nation's Restaurant News, May 1, 2000

LONDON -- Tomato farmers here just don't know when to leave well enough alone.

Last year tomato growers discovered that playing rock-and-roll music in their greenhouses led to a 5-percent increase in tomato production. Encouraged, but not entirely satisfied, the farmers opted this year to try feng shui.

Although it's still too early in the growing season to predict the success of the ancient Asian art of channeling energy, there is evidence that feng shui is having a detrimental effect on employees.

Two of them, a father and son, have quit their jobs at Areton Valley Nurseries. According to a report by Reuters news service, Martin Kelly, the father, told the BBC that the use of feng shui "put me in conflict with my [Baptist] faith. I could not sleep at night."

Alan Parker, director of the nursery, told Reuters he's not giving up on feng shui but admitted that "it did not enter my mind that the whole thing could become a religious issue."